Neutral Grey 3 sits at Munsell value 5.5, which puts it squarely in the middle of Holbein's four-step grey ladder of 8.5, 7.5, 5.5 and 4.0. It is also where the recipe changes. Greys 1 and 2 are carbon black and titanium white alone, while this one adds PBr6, an iron manganese oxide, to those two. Four stars for lightfastness, and no hue or chroma quoted, so it is still notated as a neutral.

A true mid grey is the most useful single grey to own. It reads as the halfway point between your white and your black, which makes it the reference tone for value studies, comic and storyboard greyscale, and design work that needs a mid neutral sitting behind colour. It suits asphalt, galvanised iron, storm cloud, stone and worn plastic. Because it is two full steps from Grey 2 on one side and one and a half from Grey 4 on the other, it also works as the bridge if you already own the outer two.

What Makes This Colour Special

Pigment, lightfastness and series as published by Holbein. Holbein does not publish an opacity rating for individual colours; the range as a whole is described by Holbein as opaque.

Acrylic Gouache, Not Traditional Gouache

Holbein Acrylic Gouache is a Japanese-made, water-based paint with a high pigment load and a deliberately flat finish, used widely in illustration, animation and design. Holbein Acrylic Gouache dries to a matte opaque finish and is water resistant once dry, so it does not reactivate with water like traditional gouache. For a mid grey that is often the first coat of several, that permanence is the point. Water is the only thinner and no medium is required. Browse the full brand offering on our Holbein page.

Why Holbein Acrylic Gouache Is in Serious Studios

• Genuinely opaque. Holbein describes the range simply as an opaque acrylic paint. It covers, including over darker colour, which is the whole point of reaching for gouache rather than watercolour.
• Velvety matte, no sheen. Holbein describes the colour as opaque, intense, smooth and velvety. It dries flat, which is why it photographs and scans without glare.
• Water resistant once dry, so you can layer. Holbein’s own wording, and the reason the range exists. A dry layer will take another one over the top without lifting.
• The colour you mix is the colour you get. Holbein states it does not shift in colour tone from wet to dried colour. Anyone who has watched a perfect grey dry into a different grey will appreciate that.
• Built to use straight from the tube. Holbein says it is specifically designed to be used directly from the tube and will dry to even, uniform paint layers.
• Works on more than paper. Holbein lists paper, canvas, cloth, stone, wood, leather, plexiglass and concrete, with excellent adhesion, and full compatibility with all acrylic mediums.

Getting the Most Out of This Tube

Straight from the tube is the default. This is what Holbein designed it for, and it is where you get those even, flat, uniform layers. Add a little water to loosen it, but go easy: very diluted washes can dry streaky across a large flat area, so build coverage in thin even coats rather than flooding it on.

Watch the palette, not the clock. Holbein gives an open time of roughly 10 to 30 minutes and notes the drying time is much like ordinary watercolour. The practical consequence is that paint left sitting on the palette will go off and will not come back, so squeeze out small amounts as you need them.

It plays well with acrylic mediums. Holbein states the range is compatible with all acrylic mediums, so you can change the body or extend the working time if you want to. Soft synthetic brushes suit it, since they hold enough paint to lay a flat area without dragging.

Questions About Holbein Neutral Grey #3